February 20, 1816: Rossini’s The Barber of Seville premieres in Rome.

Its overture (a common theme in Rossini’s operas) is one of the most famous tunes of all time, but The Barber of Seville stands alone as Rossini’s most popular, widely-performed opera. It was based on Beaumarchais’s play of the same name.

In 1820, Rossini met the deaf and aging Beethoven, who supposedly remarked to him:

“Ah, Rossini. So you’re the composer of The Barber of Seville. I congratulate you. It will be played as long as Italian opera exists. Never try to write anything else but opera buffa; any other style would do violence to your nature.”